Starting device



01.29, 1940. 2 YSSKIN 2,219,672

STARTING DEVICE Filed July 12, 1939 g INVENTO v i Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES sraa'rmo rumor:

. Samuel Ysskin. Newark, N. 1. Application July 12, 1939, Serial No. zsassz 'ICla-ima This invention relates to a coupling construction adapted for various uses but is particularly devised as a starting device for internal combustion engines such as in automobiles and water craft.

The invention is designed to provide a starter that is compact in size and positive in operation and has a small number of parts. The construction is such as to provide a positive operation from the motor employed to provide power for the starting but to guard against damage to the motor or the starter under backfire or other unusual strain. The starter is constructed to allow easy inspection and lubrication and also permitting easy access for repair.

The invention is illustrated in-the accompanying drawing. Figure 1 is a side view of the improved starter in inoperative position. Figure 2 is a side view with the starter engaged with the engine. Figure 3 is a longitudinal'section taken through Figure 1. Figure 4 is an end view of the starter shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 in Figure 5. Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with a modifled form of cam or raised part in the groove of the shaft. Figure 7 is a side view of the shaft portion. Figure 8 is a side view of the starter with a spring for return of the parts to normal position. Figure 9 is a fragmentary view of a modified form.

The starter in general comprises a shaft and a sleeve the sleeve being slidable and rotatable on the shaft and one of the elements having a slot and the other a projection or pin in the slot whereby the sleeve is moved longitudinally on the shaft, the pin and the walls of the slot being constructed to bind at a point in the rotation to rotate the sleeve with the shaft. The sleeve has .an engine engaging member that engages the engine when the pin and sleeve bind which causes the engine to be actuated.

The binding part is released under extreme strain which saves the starter and the motor from injury in case the engine backflres or some mechanical fault prevents the engine from tuming.

In the drawing the part I0 is the shaft and may be the shaft proper of the motor II or, as shown, may be attached by slipping over the shaft and secured in place by a set screw or bolt l2, to insure its rotation by the motor.

Around the shaft I0 is a sleeve l3 which fits loosely over the shaft in order that the sleeve may rotate freely on the shaft and move longitudinally on the shaft. One of the members, the

shaft or the sleeve is provided with a slot and the other member with a pin that rides in the, slot. In the drawing the shaft has the slot and the sleeve is supplied with the pin.

Theshaft is provided with a slot that has a 6-" helical portion l4 and terminals in one end' in a laterally arranged annular groove or slot portion IS. The sleeve is provided with a pin. l6 which is in the slot and is pressed by a spring II. The spring is arranged in a housing I8 10" which screws into aboss 19 on the sleeve. The pin is provided on the top with acup 20 in which the spring rests. The cup fits in the bore of the housing and is thus kept fromtilting. The lateral part of the slot has a' restricted portion which is usually formed by making the bottom of the slot raised at one point 2| to present a form of cam which is engaged by the pin l6 and the shaft and "sleeve rotate together or in unison. The sleeve is provided with an engineengaging member such as the pinion 22 which isadapted to engage the gear 23 on the engine. In operating the device it will be assumed that the motorv II is started in a clock-wise direction looking at'the end shown in Figure 4. The quick starting of the motor actuates the parts to cause the slot ll to move the pin l6 and consequently the sleeve l3 from the position shown in Figure l to the position shown in Figure 2 and the starter is connected to the engine. When the shaft Ill begins its rotation the sleeve l3 does not rotate but travels longitudinally due to the passage of the pin IS in the helical part of the slot and then into the lateral part l5 of the slot. By this time the sleeve 35 has advanced to cause the pin I6 to ride in the lateral part l5 of the slot. As the parts 22 and 23 are now engaged and the shaft continues to rotate it brings the cam or raised portion 2| against the pin and this causes thesleeve l3 to be rotated in unison with the shaft. The contact of the cam with the pin is gradual and without shock and the starting of the engine is positive. It will be noted that the top of the cam is short of the diameter of the shaft. This allows the pin to ride over the cam under excess strain in case of a back-fire, but the spring I1 is strong enough to hold the pin against riding over the cam under normal starting strain. If desired the cam may be formed as in Figure 6 with an initial raised part 24 to provide a terrace or platform 25 on which the pin l6 rests under normal strain and a second rise 26 over which the pin is forced only-under excess strain. When the engine has been started the gear 23 rotates the pinion 22 and this forces the sleevebackontheshafttoitsinitialstarting point and it is guided out of the lateral part II of the slot into the helical part by a positive engagement with the slight shoulder 21 against which the pin rides on its reverse motion and the helicalpartoftheslotcarriesitbacktothe starting point.

In lieu of this shoulder 21 I may provide a positive means for returning the sleeve to its starting pointintheformofaspringmeanssuchasthe spring 28 whichis arranged around an extension 2! of the shaft II and abuts on a collar II or similarholdingmeansononeendandabuts against the sleeveontheotherend. This spring need not be sostrong or heavy that it resists the movement of the sleeve under the influence of the action of the pin in the helical groove. It is suiiiciently strong, however, to insure the pasage of the pin. on its return to normal position from the lateral part of the groove into the helical part of the groove.

It will be evident that the restriction of the size of the slot to cause a binding engagement by the pin is illustrated as at the bottom of the slot or groove but such restriction may be at the side walls and the yielding of the pin under excess strain can be embodied in split pin or other mechanical equivalents apparent to one skilled in the art.

One such modified constmction is shown in Figure 9 in which the restricted part of the slot is shown by the projections 3! on the side edges of the slot and the pin 32 is split in order to allow the pin to passthrough the restricted e between the projections Il under exces strain. But under normal strain the pin is not compressed enough to pass through and the pin is operatively engaged by the projections 3| to cause the shaft II to rotate the sleeve.

I claim:

1.'A starting device comprising a rotatable shaft as one element, a sleeve as a second element slidable and rotatable on the shaft, one of said elements having a helical slot terminating at one end into an annular slot having a restricted part, a spring presed pin in the other element and resting in the slot and thereby serving by rotation of the shaft to move the sleeve longitudinally when in the helical slot and to rotate the elements in unison when it engages the restricted part of the slot, and an engine e member on the sleeve.

2. A starting device comprising a rotatable shaft, a sleeve on the shaft, the shaft having a slot extending in a helical path and at one end laterally, the bottom of the lateral part having a raised portion, and a pin in the sleeve and riding in the slot, a spring in rear of the pin to yieldingly hold the pin in the slot, the engagement of the pin with the raised bottom of the slot causing the rotation of the sleeve with the shaft under normal strain, the spring being adapted to yield and thus allow the pin to ride over the raised part under abnormal strain, and an engine engaging member on the sleeve.

3. A starting device comprising a rotatable shaft having a slot, which slot comprises a helical part and an annular lateral part continuous of the helical part, a sleeve slidable and rotatable ontheshaftandhavingaspringpressedmemher which projects into the slot, the bottom of the lateral part of the slot having a cam formation to be engaged by the spring-pressed member to cause an operative connection whereby the shaft and sleeve revolve together, and an engine member on the sleeve.

4. A starting device comprising a shaft having a helical slot terminating in a lateral slot, the

lateral slot being narrower than the helical slot to form a shoulder where they merge, a sleeve on the shaft, a spring-pressed pin in the sleeve and extendingintotheslotandadaptedtobearon the bottom of the slot, the said bottom of the lateralpartoftheslothavingaraisedpartto beengagedbythepintocausethesleeveand shaft to rotate in unison, in an operative direction, the pin engaging the shoulder in the slot when the rotation of the sleeve is reversed and thereby guiding the pin from the lateral part of the slot into the helical part of the slot, and an engine engaging member on the sleeve.

5. A starting device comprising a shaft having aslotwithahelicalpartandalateralpart,the lateral part having the bottom thereof provided with a raised portion, a sleeve surrounding the slotted part of the shaft, a spring pressed pin in the sleeve and slidablein the slot to move the sleeve longitudinallyon the shaft in one direction when e g ng the helical part of the slot,

move the sleeve in the opposite direction to move the pin from the lateral to the helical part of the slot, and an engine engaging member on the sleeve.

6. A starting device comprising a rotatable shaft as one element, a sleeve as a second element slidable and rotatable on the shaft, one of said elements having a helical slot terminating at one end into an annular slot having a restricted part, a spring pressed pin in the other element and resting in the slot and thereby serving upon rotation of the shaft to move the sleeve longitudinally when in the helical slot and to rotate the elements in unison when it engages the restrictedpartofthesloaanengineengagmg member on the sleeve and means interposed between the shaft and sleeve for returning the sleeve to normal position.

7. A starting device comprising a rotatable shaft as one element, a sleeve as a second element slidable and rotatable on the shaft, one of said elements having a helical slot terminating at one end into an annular slot having a restricted part, a spring'prmsed pin in the other element and resting in the slot and thereby serving upon rotation of the shaft to move the sleeve longitudinally when in the helical slot and to rotate the elements in unison when it engages the restricted part of the slot, an engine engaging member on the sleeve, and a spring abutting on the shaft and on the sleeve for yielding to longitudinal movement of the sleeve in one direction and acting to return the sleeve to starting position in the other direction.

. SAMUEL YSSKIN.

a spring the sleeve and the shaft t0- 

